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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. season — in sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rock — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. last — finally
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com